Core washing machine



Devc' L. C. SHIPPY CORE WASHING MACHINE I Filed 2 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1L. C. SHIPPY I CORE WASHING MACHINE Dec. 8, 1936.

Filed July 22, 1935 s She'i'htl? Dec. 8, 1936. L, c, SHIPPY 2,063,702

CORE WASHING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec.8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GORE WASHING MACHINE poration ofDelaware Application July 22, 1935, Serial No. 32,683

Claims.

Automobile radiators and other similar types of heat exchange devicescomprise a radiating core having a number of spaced tubes for the flowtherethrough of cooling system liquid between 5 inlet and outlet headerson opposite ends of the core structure. In the manufacture of the corethe several parts are soldered together and immediately thereaftersurplus soldering flux must be washed off the parts to prevent damagethereto. To this end the usual practice is to immerse the soldered corein a tank containing water or a cyanide solution. It is to improve uponthis part of the manufacturing procedure that the machine constitutingthe subject matter hereof has been devised.

Primarily the present invention deals with pressure flushing of both theinside and outside surfaces of the core whereby the washing operation isperformed more thoroughly and in less time.

20 A further object of the invention is to provide a machine whichoperates automatically to flush each core several times. Different kindsof solution may be used for succeeding flushes if that isv deemeddesirable, but the same kind of liquid W may be used throughout, inwhich event provision preferably is made so that the same liquid is usedonly once for each core with the fresh liquid entering at the final washand being worked back to the initial wash where it is discarded. Thuseach succeeding wash is in cleaner liquid and the last in the freshsupply. This enables the liquid to be used over a reasonable number oftimes with the same result as though clean liquid were used each timeand of importance is the saving of expense.

The various novel details of the machine will become apparent during thecourse of the following specification when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view with partsbroken away, of a preferred, but not necessarily the only embodiment ofthe machine; Figures 2 and 3 are detail sectional views taken,respectively, on lines 22 and 33 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a verticalsectional view through a portion of the machine and is taken on line 44of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of a pressure reliefvalve which allows drainage of the core following each washingoperation; Figure 6 is a detail perspective view showing the twoelements of a rotary multiple valve, and Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentaryviews showing details of the core sup porting frame, Figure 8 being aview looking in the direction of the arrows on line 8-8 of Figure 4.

In the drawings the numeral I indicates a rotating wheel or conveyorenclosed Within a hood or housing 2 and adapted to carry a number ofcore assemblies from the loading station A through the washing stationsB, C, D, and E in succession tothe unloading station F. The conveyorwheel has a vertical driving shaft 3 mounted in suitable bearings in thestationary supporting tube 4 and. provided at its lower end with a gear5 in mesh with the driving pinion 6 on a shaft 1 driven from an electricmotor 8 through suitable speed reduction gearing enclosed within the box9.

The core supporting frames spaced circumferentially about the wheel Imay each comprise a pair of angle irons having lateral extensions I0bolted or otherwise secured to the wheel and downwardly and outwardlyprojecting legs I l connected at the top and bottom by transverse strapsl2 and 13,, respectively. A diagonal brace bar I4 extending between theremote ends of the legs in and I l lends increased strength to theframe.

Extending upwardly from the cross bar [2 is an apertured block I5 whichprovides a seat for a sealing gasket l6 (see Figure 2) engageable withthe end of the inlet pipe I! of a replaceable header I 8. Formed on theinlet pipe I! is an annular flange l9 engaged on diametrically oppositesides of the tube by the adjacent ends of a pair of spaced rock leverspivoted on opposite ends of a pin 2i, which is clamped or otherwisecarried by the cross bar l2. The opposite ends of the rock levers 20 areconnected through a universal joint of suitable design with a tie rod 22which extends downwardly and, as shown in Figure 8, terminates in alateral extension which is hinged by a pin 23 to the hand lever 24pivoted at 25 on the cross bar Hi. In the position of the parts shownthe pivot pin 23 is past dead center position and through the tensionrod 22, the rock levers 20 are held in clamping engagement with theflange l9. By swinging the lever 24 the levers 20 may be operated tofree the header I8 for its removal and for the substitution of areplaceable header. By the use of replaceable headers of different sizesthe samemachine may be utilized for washing cores of varying shapes anddimensions.

Each header preferably is provided within the hollow interior thereof inalinement with the spout IT with a suitable bafile 26, which may beperforated and which serves to distribute or spread the liquid suppliedthereto throughout the header for uniform flow through the interior ofthe several tubes comprising the core. For affording a temporary sealbetween the header and the core being tested, use may be made of arubber or other flexible fiap 21 secured within a retainer strip 28 andprovided with a beaded portion to fit within a corresponding groove 29in the retainer strip 28.

Both ends of the replaceable header are provided with connections for apair of tie rods 30 which are inclined downwardly and are supported neartheir lower ends by brackets 3| extending upwardly and forming a part ofthe cross bar l3 of the supporting frame. These tie rods 30 carry attheir lower ends a cross bar 32 which is provided with one or morepivoted camming levers 33 bearing on a clamping bar 54 which is slidablymounted on the rods 30 and is adapted to engage with the lower end ofthe core assembly and thereby hold its opposite end in tight engagementwith the sealing flap 2 By this arrangement the cores to be washed maybe easily and quickly positioned in or removed from the supportingframes of the conveyor at the loading and unloading stations.

Water or other washing liquid is supplied under pressure to the inlet I!through suitable piping 34 associated with the movable element 35 of arotary valve. Also associated with the piping 34 is a pressure relief orcheck valve 36, which as shown in Figure may consist of a plate or disc37 seating against the flanged end of a tube 38 and being located on itsseat under influence of a light coil spring 39 fastened at one end tothe plate and at its opposite end to a wire 40 extending transverselyacross the tube and seating at the opposite end thereof. The action ofthis valve is to close whenever liquid under pressure is supplied forpassage through the interior of the core and to open after the intervalof liquid delivery to allow the passage of air to the pipe 34 fordraining the interior of the core.

The structure of each of the core supporting frames is similar to thatbefore described and the rotary member 35 of the multiple valve is,therefore, provided with a series of spaced ports 4l therein, one foreach of the core supporting structures. The bottom or stationary plate42 is provided with only four ports 43, one for each of the washingstations B, C, D and E, and upon relative movement of the plates theslots 4| individually are moved into and out of alinement successivelywith the ports 43 for connecting the interior of the core with thesource of cleansing liquid under pressure.

For supporting the stationary plate there has been provided a pedestalin the form of a table 44 extending across a pair of standards oruprights 45. Each port 43 is connected by a suitable pipe or conduit asat 46 in Figure 4 which leads from a pressure pump 41' or other pressuresupply source. A branch pressure line 48 extends upwardly and terminatesin a shower or spray head 49 for directing washing liquid over theexterior surfaces of the core.

The liquid supplied by the pump 47 after thoroughly flushing the coreand cleaning the same of excess soldering flux drops by gravity andinstead of draining to a sewer may be caught in a storage reservoir asindicated at 50. From the tank 58, the liquid may be withdrawn through apipe leading to the suction side of the pump for recirculation.Optionally, the suction side of the pump may be connected to the storagetank of the neighboring washing station as shown at 5! whereby theflushing liquid is transferred from station to station in a directionopposite to that of conveyor travel. In this event at station B,

where each core receives its initial wash, the storage tank may beomitted and the liquid allowed to drain into a sewer or other place ofdisposal and the suction side of the pump for station E, where the corereceives its final wash, may be connected to a suitable source of eitherhot or cold liquid. If city water is to be used the pressure pump at thefinal station may be entirely omitted and connection made directly tothe city Water main. Alternatelythe city supply may be connected so asto flow through the interior only of the core at the final washingstation and a pressure pump employed to supply water from the catchbasin to the shower head only.

In the event a cyanide solution is to be used, for example, for thethird wash, then the suction side of the pump at the third or D stationis connected with the tank 50 forming a part of the station for therecirculation of the cyanide solution at that station only. Additionallythe suction conduit of the pump associated with the preceding C stationextends to and withdraws liquid from the tank at the final Washing or Estation. It is possible also to subject the cores to alternate hot andcold washes and these and various other alternative arrangements of theapparatus will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

To dry the core and facilitate handling after the wash operation it isproposed to provide just beyond the final wash a funnel 52 connected toa source of either hot or cold air under pressure to direct a draft ofair over the entire outer surface of the core and thereby blow the coredry.

In operation the conveyor I rotates continuously at a preselected speedof travel and the cores traveling through the several stations areintermittently flushed and allowed to drain and under pressure flushingare thoroughly cleansed of any foreign matter that otherwise would causeinjury.

I claim:

1. In a radiator core washing machine, a traveling conveyor having aseries of headers adapted to fit the open ends of cores carried by theconveyor in open communication with the core interiors, means supplyingthe headers individually with washing liquid under pressure for flowthrough the cores at spaced intervals in their travel with the conveyor,and means acting automatically to promote drainage of liquid from thecores between succeeding intervals of liquid delivery, including an airinlet passage leading to the upper portion of a header and a pressureactuated valve closing said passage during liquid delivery.

2. In a radiator core flushing machine, a conveyor having a plurality ofheaders for detachable engagement with cores carried by the conveyor inopen communication with the interior passages thereof, a series ofwashing stations, each including a spray head directing liquid underpressure over the exterior of cores passing thereby and a conduit forliquid under pressure adapted for communication in succession with theheaders as they move into alinement therewith for the flow of liquidthrough the cores, means providing for the flow of air to the upperportion of each header thereby to promote drainage of liquid interiorlyof the core when the header is out of communication with the stationconduits and a pressure actuated one way valve acting automatically toclose said air flow means during liquid delivery from the conduit to theheader.

3. In a radiator core washing machine, a series of spaced supportingframes, means on each frame for removably mounting a core carryingfixture,

a core carrying fixture including a header for engagement with one endof a core and an adjustable clamping member for engagement with theother end of the core to hold the same removably in the fixture, atraveling carrier for said frames, a series of liquid conduits on saidcarrier, connected one to each header, means operative to supply liquidto said conduits individually at a given station in the travel of saidcarrier, an air inlet passage in each conduit for promoting drainage ofliquid from the core beyond said station, and a pressure actuated oneway valve to close said air inlet passage when liquid is being suppliedthrough the conduit.

4. In a radiator core Washing machine having a series of flushingstations and a traveling conveyor provided with a series of spacedconduits to deliver flushing liquid at the several stations, and beingcharacterized by a series of core positioning devices, each including asupporting frame mounted on the conveyor, a core clamping fixturecomprising a pair of relatively movable members engageable with oppositeends of a core for removably mounting a core therein, one of saidmembers constituting a header for communication with the core interior,and means on the frame removably securing the fixture thereon with saidheader in communication with an adjacent conduit.

5. A radiator core washing machine of the character described, includinga conveyor, a series of radiator core supporting frames carried by theconveyor, a liquid supply conduit leading to each supporting frame, acore engaging header connected to each conduit, means on each framedetachably mounting the header thereon, a pair of spaced dependent rodsat opposite ends of the header, a cross bar fixedly carried by saidrods, a clamping member slidably carried by the rods for engagement withone end of a radiator core and adjustable means on said cross bar forengagement with said member to clamp the opposite end of the radiatorcore against said header.

LEO C. SHIPPY.

